


The Argonian Kidnapper

by Aelia_D



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Argonian/Human, Argonian/Reader, Argonians have two penises, Blowjobs, Dragonborn/Reader, Enthusiastic Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Frotting, Gratuitous use of actual lube, Kidnapping but not really, M/M, Making out with Argonians, Male Slash, Male/Male Romance, Teratophilia, They self lubricate, Written for Tumblr, it's fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 08:21:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelia_D/pseuds/Aelia_D
Summary: When an Argonian leaps into your cart and demands you drive, you don’t expect to end up liking him.





	The Argonian Kidnapper

 

It’s a quiet afternoon, and you’re letting your mind drift as you guide your cart away from Whiterun. You’ve got a series of deliveries to make, dropping off cases of mead and ale, wheels of cheese, and heads of cabbage at various Inns and Taverns around Skyrim. Your horse plods along, happy and mild-mannered, content to follow the path that you’ve all followed hundreds of times the last few years.

It’s not an exciting job, but you have nothing to complain about; it puts a roof over your head, and you get all the cheese and cabbage you can eat. (Which isn’t much, these days. You’re pretty sick of both foods.)

You don’t notice the commotion on the hill coming from Riverwood, or the way the guards over by Honningbrew Meadery sprint toward the fight, swords drawn, shouting. It doesn’t take long for the fight to overtake you, at the pace you’re plodding along, and before you know it, a big Argonian flings himself into the driver’s seat beside you.

“Drive!” he shouts.

“What?” You ask dumbly. Your brain isn’t processing what’s going on, and you’re not moving. The Whiterun guards have caught up and are surrounding your wagon. They’re shouting at you, all of them saying different things, but you think you hear them telling you to stop.

You glance at him, but all you can see at first is that he’s huge- he easily dwarfs you, and his muscles seem to bulge beneath his scaly green skin- and that he’s well armed. From where you sit you see at least one sword, a dagger, and the bow strapped to his back. He’s wearing armor that fits him well and looks expensive. The Argonian is clearly a warrior, used to fighting and getting his way, and you are just a cart driver.

With a noise of exasperation, the Argonian reaches over, wrests the reins from your hands. He clucks at your horse. Her ears twitch, but she’s well-trained, and she obligingly speeds into a trot. The cart lurches forward, and it doesn’t take long for the guards to fall behind.

The lurch of the cart seems to be what it takes to get your brain moving again. You reach for the reins to take them back, but he quickly catches your wrist and sets your hand back in your lap. He’s firm but doesn’t hurt you.

“What are you  _doing_?” You demand.

The Argonian grins at you, showing a row of jagged but even teeth. His skin is a deep green, his scales gleam in the sun. His eyes are bright blue, something you don’t think you’ve seen in other Argonians. That alone makes him stand out to you. He looks away, and you’re left to contemplate his profile for a moment, as you process this predicament. His brow bones are pronounced, but not spiked. His horns curve around like a ram’s. He’s quite a handsome Argonian, all things considered.

“I took your cart,” He says in a voice that rumbles pleasingly. In other circumstances you might like him, but right now you’re just shocked. “And you, I suppose.”

“But…  _why_?” Your hand still tingles where he touched you.

“I needed to get away from the guards. They decided I was a criminal. Not sure why.” He shrugs, and your eye tracks the movement of his muscular shoulder. Gods but he’s beautiful.

He also just  _kidnapped you_ , you remind yourself with a mental shake.

The guards are far behind, and the Argonian slows the cart and horse down to a walk. He leans back, seeming to relax, and smiles at you again.

You really like his smile.  _Something is wrong with you_  a tiny voice in your head whispers.

“Fighting the guards and stealing a cart seem plenty criminal to me.” You say to him with a scowl.

He laughs in response, and gods help you, there’s a flutter in your stomach in response. It’s a good laugh. In other circumstances, you’d be flirting with him and hoping that he’s into human men. But he’s a criminal, and a kidnapper, and you need to not go down that path.

“ _Before_  all that.” He shrugs. “Nothing to be done about it now. I need to lay low for a while. Where were you headed?”

“Markarth,” you tell him. “Though there’s a few stops I’m supposed to make on the way for pick-up and drop-off.”

“To Markarth!” the Argonian says cheerily, turning the horse along the correct roads.

“You can’t just kidnap me and steal my cart and drag me to Markarth!” You say.

“ _You_  are the one who was going to Markarth, I am not  _dragging_  you anywhere.” He says with an amused chuckle. The Argonian glances at you sidelong, a smirk teasing his lips. He leans close, and murmurs close to your ear. “And you could have shoved me out of this cart at any time. Perhaps now that I’m here you want to keep me.”

You shove him away, but it’s half hearted. He laughs again. Gods help you but he’s right. He hasn’t threatened you, hasn’t forced you to do anything. He’s just made demands and you’ve meekly followed along. This is the most interesting things have been for you in far too long, and though you’re still not okay with what he’s doing, you’re not as averse to having company as you should be. There’s something wrong with you, perhaps Sheogorath is playing with you.

You set your lips in a scowl, and grab the reins from his hands. This time he lets you.

“I’ll take you as far as Rorikstead,” you inform him. “You’re on your own after that.”

“Sounds fine to me,” He says. He settles in next to you, and reaches into a satchel you haven’t noticed before now. He pulls out a chunk of wood and starts whittling.

“You’re going to clean those shavings before you go.” You inform him, your scowl deepening.

“Of course.” He replies, as unshaken as ever.

For the most part, the day passes in silence. The two of you don’t talk much, and that’s alright by you. You’re disgusted with yourself for being attracted to this cart-thief, and he’s absorbed in his wood carving.

“Rorikstead is a two day journey,” he says at one point. “Where do you plan to sleep?”

“We’ll find a safe spot, I usually sleep under my cart.” You tell him.

“Ah,” he says, and goes back to his whittling.

You think then about how him being there is going to change your evening, but there’s not a better option. You have a specific clearing in mind, one that has sheer rock on two sides, to make you a harder target for wildlife and bandits. It’s a popular campsite for wandering traders and cart drivers like yourself, once or twice you’ve shared it with others.

“Where are you from?” He asks later.

“My family is from Leyawiin in Cyrodiil,” you tell him.

Your family lives in one of the major cities in Cyrodiil, down in the far South of the country, and has for generations. It’s smack dab between Elsweyr and Black Marsh, and because of that  has a fairly large non-human population. It’s not perfect, but it was home for a long time. You had longed to see something different, and here you were.

“How on Nirn did you end up  _here_ ,” he asks, gesturing to the empty plains of Skryim.

“Yes, I’m about as far from home as I could get, all things considered,” you say with a shrug. Short of heading out to to the High Rock peninsula, you couldn’t have gotten much further and still been on habitable land. “I wanted to travel, and… well… this is just where I ended up. How about you, where are you from?”

“My family has a home not too far from Riften,” he answers vaguely.  

“Ah,” You don’t press the matter. The Argonian– you still don’t know his name– may be handsome, but he’s a thief and you don’t need to delve into his past.

Your stomach rumbles, so you reach into your knapsack and pull out some rations you’d packed previously. Cheese and onions and smoked salmon and crusty bread all wrapped in oiled cloth. You scoot over a hair and set it on the bench between you. The argonian adds an apple and a sweet roll. The two of you eat in silence, sharing the food and enjoying the sunshine and birdsong.

The two of you exchange words a few more times as the day passes, but it’s nothing particularly memorable. You discover that he’s been to Markarth before. He travels Skyrim a lot. He was in Riverwood when the guards descended upon him. He swears he doesn’t know what triggered their pursuit. You want to believe him.

The sun is just starting to disappear behind the mountains when you arrive at your campsite. You back the wagon in, and unhitch the horse. You get her fed and settled in for the evening while the Argonian gets a fire going in the pit established by the many people who use this site. You’ve got a tarp and a few blankets, not much to spare, and it doesn’t look like the Argonian was prepared for sleeping on the ground.

“What’s your name, anyway?” You finally ask. It’s uncomfortable to keep thinking of him as ‘the Argonian,’ when he has a name, and he truly hasn’t been bad company, despite his status as a criminal.

“Talen-zei” he says. “And you?”

You tell him your name.

You contemplate the cart, the the boxes and barrels full of food, and the tarp and limited blankets, before deciding that perhaps what you really ought to do is use the tarp and blankets in the cart, and create a tent of sorts. You’ll both be warmer that way, than if you were on the ground. It’ll be close quarters with a thieving kidnapper. A  _handsome_  thieving kidnapper, but you’ll endure it for one night.

You climb in and start re-arranging everything.

“What are you doing?” Talen-zei asks.

“Making space for us to sleep,” you tell him. You stack a box on top of another box. There’s a space wide enough for the two of you in the middle of the cart. You stretch the tarp across the top of the boxes. Talen-zei climbs up, and starts helping you. He’s quick to pick up on what you’re doing, and in no time the two of you are done.

The two of you eat dinner quietly at the fireside. Then you bank the fire, prep your crossbow, and prepare to sleep. Talen-zei watches for a minute before he speaks.

“Do you intend for us to both sleep at once?” He asks, his head cocked to one side.

“Yeah, I’ve got a warding spell I picked up a while back,” you say, pulling reagents out of your satchel. It’s not a complicated spell, and you’ve stayed at this site enough that you don’t need to do prep work. A quick casting and the area is protected.

“Handy,” he says, poking at the perimeter of the spell with his toe and watching as the spell flares up. “I could have used something like this many times over.”

“Mm, well, if you weren’t a kidnapper, I might help you out,” you say, but there’s no anger behind your words. He seems to catch that, and grins at you in response. By the nine, the Argonian is winning you over, and it’s irritating.  “Let’s just sleep.”

You crawl into the back of your cart, and feel as Talen-zei follows. He takes up what little space had remained, and suddenly what had seemed like plenty of room is cramped. He’s big, too big for this to work. But at least you’ll be warm, and dry when the mountain mists roll in overnight.

He tucks his bag under his head and rolls onto his side so his back is to you. You do the same, keeping your back to him. It takes a while for sleep to claim you, but eventually, even with the strange warmth beside you, and the unfamiliar but comforting breathing, you do manage to drift off.

You wake to find yourself snuggling up against the big Argonian. He’s on his side, facing you now, one big arm draped over you. You’re pressed up against him, your fingers tangled into his shirt.  You don’t really want to move away, but you know you need to. Talen-zei is too tempting for what he is– a kidnapping thief– and this is not the best way to start the morning, if you’re going to keep distance between you.

As you’re trying to squirm out from his hold, he grunts and pulls you closer before letting out a content sigh. You cast a furtive glance outside, and after determining that it’s still full-dark out, decide to just enjoy this. You snuggle closer and tell yourself that in a few hours, when the sun is up and it’s time to actually get up, you’ll get back to keeping your distance.

When you wake again, it is because Talen-zei is trying to escape your death grip on him. He’s got a bemused expression on his face as he tries to slide his arm out from under your head in these cramped quarters. His tail is curled around your legs, and you’re still clinging to his shirt, but now he’s on his back, and you’re half-on top of him. You blink at him a few times before the reality of the situation really hits you.

“Ah…” you manage, releasing him and scooting away. “Sorry.”

“I er… believe it was somewhat mutual. No apologies are necessary,” he says. He crawls out of the tent somewhat hastily though, leaving you alone to stare at the waxed canvas above your head.

Way to make it awkward, you tell yourself. But there’s no time to self-flagellate. You need to get the cart ready to go and hit the road if you’re going to make your pickup and get to Rorikstead today. And with the way today has started, it feels imperative that you get Talen-zei on his way.

He’s stepping out of the woods when you crawl out of the cart, having apparently seen to some personal business. You do the same before the two of you set to tearing down your camp and getting ready to move. It’s surprisingly easy with him, you hardly have to give directions as he gets things packed up almost the way they were the day before.

You’re on the road in no time. The horse plods along the familiar path. Once again, Talen-zei whittles, his small knife carving into the soft wood easily. You don’t talk a lot today, either. A few times you exchange words, but the awkwardness of the morning hasn’t quite left you.

Around noon, the two of you share trail rations again, and in the afternoon, you roll up to Rorikstead with no fanfare.

“This is where I leave you,” Talen-zei says.

“You’re not bad for a kidnapper.” You say, offering him your hand.

“I take that as a high compliment, coming from you.” He says, taking your hand and shaking it before he hops out of your cart. He takes a moment to clear the shavings out of it- as he said he would- before walking away.

You watch him go. It’s a pity things couldn’t have been different, because gods is he a pretty one.

It doesn’t take you long at all to drop goods off at the Frostfruit Inn, and load up produce from Cowflop Farm. You replenish your personal food, and even splurge on a few delicious treats. Everything is stowed on the cart, and you’re about to leave town when Talen-zei comes sprinting your way, more guards chasing after him.

You sigh, and scoot over on the bench, making space for him as he catapults up next to you.

“Drive!” he shouts.

You look at him, and quirk your brows up.

“Please.”

With that, you cluck to the horse, and head out of town at a trot. As before, the guards soon fall behind.

“Talen-zei, I deserve to know what kind of crime I’m helping you escape punishment for.” You finally tell him.

“I don’t know.” He says, shaking his head. “But I nabbed this off one of their belts.”

He holds up a piece of parchment, and unrolls it. He stares at it for far too long, at first reading it, then seeming to not comprehend what he is looking at. Eventually, you reach over and [grab the slip of paper from him](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FAnc67pc.png&t=NzIwNGViZmYxYTgxNmRiNTc0NzNhNDA0ZjhkYmI5NzZkNGQ0ZGQxYyxHUmdFM2pkaA%3D%3D&b=t%3A6y3aMzQm2fZoTueqKvW6Fw&p=https%3A%2F%2Faelia-likes-monsters.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F176348822246%2Fthe-argonian-kidnapper&m=1). You read it, and take a moment to process before you burst out laughing. The laughter leaves you weak, with tears running down your face, and a stitch in your side.

Talen-zei does not look amused. His face is drawn up into a frown, and every time you look at him, you laugh harder, until he takes the reins from you, lest you drive the cart off the track.

“You killed a  _chicken_?” You finally manage to gasp.

“I did no such thing.” He says. “I was framed.”

“Right. Right.” You reach over and pat him on the shoulder. “What’s the fine for that? It can’t be so bad. Let’s just go settle it.”

“I will not.”

“Fine, but it looks like this is a Whiterun Hold bounty, so you should be fine over in the Reach. Karthwasten is my next stop,” You offer.

“I want it on record that you offered. This is not a kidnapping any longer.” He says, finally seeming to relax.

“Deal,” you tell him, offering your hand once more.

The two of you shake on it.

For obvious reasons, the evening’s travel is both more relaxed, and more stressed. Whenever you pass travelers on the road, Talen-zei gets more nervous, as though he expects any of them to be bounty hunters. But conversation between the two of you flows more freely than it ever has before.

Before full dark, you pull off the track and toward a cave.

“We need to check inside before we enter, but this cave has served me well in the past,” you inform him.

“Let me look,” Talen-zei says, dropping silently off the side of the cart and disappearing into the darkness.

Several stress-filled minutes later, he returns, and gestures that it’s clear. You cast candlelight ahead of the horse, so you can see the path, and follow him with the cart and everything.

Inside you see evidence that the Argonian has dealt with several giant spiders. He’s in the process of dragging their corpses into a pile away from where you will be sleeping. You shudder.

“Thank you for handling that,” you say.

“Of course.” He says.

You ready camp while he collects alchemical ingredients off them. You try not to watch, the whole process disgusts you, though you recognize its value.

This particular cave, despite its infestation, is a nice one. It’s large, and has a pool of potable water in the back. There’s a vent to let out smoke from campfires, and it’s generally only occupied by pests like spiders, rather than larger, more dangerous creatures like trolls and bears.

You let the horse loose, and set an armful of hay out for her to eat before setting up a tent on the ground. Tonight you shouldn’t need to sleep in the cart, but the cave is still too large to heat, and rather damp, and you’ll both be more comfortable in the smaller space.

“So,” you say, as the two of you settle in with bowls of hot stew. “Do you practice alchemy, or just sell ingredients?”

“Both. If I can’t use it immediately, I sell it. But it’s so much cheaper to create my own potions.” He says. “Why?”

“Just curious. You’re an Argonian of many skills.” You smile. “Do you practice magic?”

“Yes, some. I’m best at Alteration.” He answers slowly, his eyes narrowing. “This feels like an inquisition.”

“Ah, sorry.” You blush. “Well, the warding spell is Alteration. Perhaps you can learn it, too.”

You grab your book out of your bag and pass it to him. He looks from it to you, recognizing the value of a gift like this. Magicka books aren’t cheap. But you want him to have it, especially if he’s on the run like this. You’ve come to care about him in the two days you’ve known him, something you’d never have anticipated happening. It would be silly to think it was mutual, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do what you can to ensure he’s safe.

“Thank you.” He runs one large, clawed hand over the cover. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” You say. “I’ve learned the spell already, and pretty much memorized what’s in it.”

He nods, but after that, conversation seems to be more strained. You wish it wasn’t, but can’t bring yourself to regret giving him the book.

The two of you crawl into the tent, and as before, wrap yourselves in your own blankets. Talen-zei’s breathing levels off quickly, the slow and steady pace of someone who’s asleep. Rest is more elusive for you; for a while, your thoughts chase each other around and you have to struggle not to fidget. But eventually, you feel the Argonian shift behind you, and one of his big arms drapes over your waist, pulling you snug against him. With him holding you like that, it’s easier to fall asleep.

Morning once again finds you both entwined. This morning you slide out of Talen-zei’s arms before he wakes, and crawl out of the tent. Breakfast is quick: rock warbler eggs and some bacon you picked up in Rorikstead. The smell of it cooking summons the Argonian.

The two of you get moving with the same easy rhythm of the day before, but few words are exchanged. By lunch, things haven’t recovered. Things are still awkward, any conversations you have stilted. By the time you arrive in Karthwasten, the two of you are thoroughly subdued, and it feels like both of you have dropped into sulks.

“I didn’t give you that book with any level of expectation,” You say, looking at him. This is too much. You need to clear the air. “We may have met because you jumped into my cart, pursued by the guards, and yelled ‘drive,’ but I gave you the book because I like you and want you to be safe.”

“Perhaps I hoped you did have expectation?” Talen-zei said softly. You’re not sure you’re supposed to hear it, but you do.

“What?”

“Nevermind,” the Argonian says. “I’ll be on my way.”

“No, wait.” You reach out, and catch his arm. “Please be clear, because I’m worried my hopes are muddying what you’re actually saying. Are you  _interested_  in me?”

Talen-zei’s eyes narrow, his icy blue gaze focused on you as his head quirks. He studies you for a moment before he speaks.

“Yes, I am, you adorable, dense human.” He says.

“Well how am I supposed to know?” You demand, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You haven’t given me any signals, and most argonians aren’t into us  _dryscales_.”

“You’re one to talk!” He says, stepping closer, until he’s towering over you and glaring directly down. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, and you haven’t flirted even  _once_  since we met. Humans don’t stoop to mating with beastfolk. Why is it my job?”

“I don’t know, but it is!” You say, reaching up to grab his horns and guide his mouth down to yours.

His arms wrap around you and he pulls you close. His lips are dry, but his scales aren’t sharp, and it feels nice to have him brush against you like this. You dart your tongue out, and lick his lips, and that’s all it takes for his tongue to invade your mouth, sliding in and laying claim. You know you’re a panting, moaning mess when he pulls back, and whispers in your ear.

“We’re making a scene.”

“Augh.” Is your very intelligent response. You know he’s got a point. You’re in the middle of a very human town, in Skyrim of all places, a province not known for its kindness to beast races (or really anyone besides Nords.) You step back, and nod at him. “Right. Let’s get things delivered, and get out of town.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Talen-zei grins at you.

The next hours are a blur. All you recall later is a feeling of anticipation as you fulfill your responsibilities on autopilot. Things in Karthwasten get delivered, and you pick up supplies and items that are going to go with you to Markarth. Talen-zei helps you unload and re-load the cart, and if anyone notices the teasing touches, they don’t say a word about them.

Tonight you make camp against a cliffside again, on an outcropping of rock that protects you on three sides, with a healthy shelter of trees to shield you from view.  The horse are settled, and dinner is eaten with as much haste as the two of you can manage. Tonight, Talen-zei builds the tent, setting up the bed for two to share everything.

You can’t wait.

When it’s ready, and the sun has disappeared behind the mountains, you bank the fire and crawl into the tent with him, anticipation giving way to nerves. The Argonian is incredibly handsome, but he’s huge, and you’ve never been with anyone like him before.

“Try to relax,” he says with a smile, giving you gentle kisses. His scaly lips are warm and dry, and you enjoy the feel of them against you.

By increments, you relax under his touch, and the two of you take your time. You pepper kisses along his jaw, avoiding the spikes of bone, but otherwise teasing him. You nibble your way down his neck before helping him undress, leaving him bare.

He’s smoother on his chest and belly, with bigger armored patches, rather than full scaling. You slide your hands along his body, and he groans.

“Feels so good,” he says.

His hands are busy touching you, exploring the contours of your body as well, getting to know your shape, and touching you in places you didn’t even know you liked. He strokes your back, and your sides, and your hips, stripping your clothes off you a little at a time until you, too are bare.

It’s dark in the tent, but the two of you still appreciate the view of each other’s bodies. He’s got a slit on his body that his cock has slid out of, and it’s erect and gorgeous, a few shades darker than the rest of his body, with a ruddy red tip. It doesn’t have scales, but it appears ridged, with more texture near the tapered tip, and a curve back towards his belly. It glistens with natural lubrication.

“Interesting,” you murmur, running your fingers along his length until he bucks into your hand with a gasp.

“It’s sensitive,” he says with a groan as you wrap your hand around his cock. “Hang on.”

He shifts, and digs around in his bag for a moment before coming up with a glass vial. You hear him unstopper it, and then his hand is on your cock, and it’s slick and oh gods it feels good when he strokes you. The two of you lay like that, facing each other and kissing; your tongues tangling and your hands on each other’s cocks for a while, letting your pleasure build.

“I’m getting close,” you murmur.

“I wanna try something” Talen-zei says, and he shifts, so your dicks are brushing against each other, and his hand is holding both of them together. His hand is still slick, and the lubricant he apparently creates on his own means that when he rubs you get the right amount of slippery friction.

“Yes!” you gasp, and hump desperately into his hand.

He sets a quick pace, his huge clawed hand engulfing both of your cocks easily as he strokes you both. You cling to him, your hands sliding over his scaled back, your dull fingernails scraping along his scales. He growls, and thrusts at you.

“So close.” He grunts.

“Me too,” you gasp.

The two of you reach shuddering climaxes mere seconds apart. You grab a cloth and wipe up the mess from your and Talen-zei’s spending, and shove it outside the tent to be dealt with later.

As you crawl back into the tent, you see that he’s already hard and ready to go again. Your eyes widen, and Talen-zei gives you a grin.

“Argonians have two penises.” He strokes himself casually, as if he hasn’t just told you something that has shattered your world.  

“You’d think I’d have heard of that by now.” You say, licking your lips. You’re spent, and need some time to recover, but there are other ways to enjoy this.

“Mmm, we don’t exactly advertise.” He’s still stroking himself, waiting for you to decide what you want to do.

You crawl over to him, and settle at his side, leaning over and drawing your tongue along his length. He doesn’t taste like much of anything, so it’s easy to open your mouth wide and slide the tip into your mouth. You flick your tongue over it, and are rewarded with a groan. His clean hand settles in your hair, gently pressing you down. You hum in approval.

“Oh that’s good,” he practically purrs.

His hand on your head is just there for encouragement, it seems, because he doesn’t do anything beyond stroking you as you take as much of him as you can into your mouth. His cock is large, and you can’t quite fit it all in your mouth, but with each bob of your head you manage more. Talen-zei is moaning and making noises of appreciation, his breath coming faster with each motion.

“Close,” he manages to gasp. “I’m gonna-”

You redouble your efforts, and soon he’s spilling in your mouth. The taste is oddly sweet, and you swallow it easily. The big Argonian seems to melt into the furs.

“C’mere.” He murmurs, now sleepy and content as his second penis disappears back into his slit. You settle next to Talen-Zei, and the two of you hold each other as you fall asleep.

Morning brings open-mouthed kisses and promises of more once the two of you reach an actual bed. You shiver in anticipation, but there’s a lot to do and you can’t waste the morning rolling around in the furs. Talen-zei helps you break down camp and get on the road.

Today conversation flows smoothly, though you also spend some time lost in your thoughts while the Argonian reads the book on ward spells. You’re only a few hours out from Markarth, and you can’t wait to explore what the two of you can do with a real bed.

You get to the gates of the walled mountain city in the late afternoon. The sun is disappearing quickly behind the peaks, and you’re impatient to get inside, but the guards don’t recognize you, and interrogate you much more closely than ever before. They demand to know who you are, what you’re carrying, who you’re going to see, where you’ve been before this, where you’re going after.

You try to stay calm.

It’s Talen-zei, surprisingly, that gets you through the gates. He sighs deeply, and pulls a crest out of his bag.

“Do you recognize your Thane?” he asks.

“Our apologies, sir.” They immediately back down and open the gates, allowing you into the city. You try not to gape at the Argonian beside you, but you can tell by his face that you’re failing.

“Were you going to mention this at any point?” You try to keep your voice level, but it doesn’t work.

“It didn’t seem relevant.” He frowns. “I’m sorry if this bothers you, but it’s just not something I advertise.”

“What else do you  _not advertise_?” You hiss at him as you jump down from the cart and start unloading goods for the Silver-Blood Inn.

“Erm…” Talen-zei looks intensely uncomfortable. “I’m the Dragonborn?”

Gods bless it, of course he is. Of course. You sag, and for a moment let yourself mourn what could have been. You look at the Argonian.

“What happened was really nice, and I’ll remember it fondly, but you’re too…” you struggle to find the words. “You’re too  _important_  for someone like me.”

“That’s not true,” Talen-zei says, stepping closer to you.

“Talen-zei,” You cup his cheek, and look up at him. “You have a destiny, and I’m just a delivery man. You have more important things to do than waste your time with me.”

You press a soft kiss to his lips, then step back.

“Goodbye.” You say to him, before hefting your cargo onto your shoulder and hurrying away.

He’s gone when you get back to your cart. You tell yourself that it’s better this way, that you couldn’t keep dragging things out until you got attached. You tell yourself that you weren’t already attached to the kidnapping chicken murderer, and that what you’re feeling right now isn’t heartbreak.

You know you’re lying.

Normally you’d spend the night in Markarth, but you think it’s best to put some distance between yourself and the gorgeous Thane of the Reach, so you get out of town. You push the horse as far as you safely can with a light spell before you settle down for the night.

The following weeks wear on you. Your routine doesn’t help settle your mind or your heart, and you miss the damn Argonian more than you’d expected, for only knowing him three days. It’s hard, when you’re in the wilderness with just yourself and the horse, to not dwell on what could have been.

You’re not far from Whiterun, and your mind is fixated on a certain Argonian, so you don’t notice the commotion on the hill from Riverwood until it’s too late. A dragon swoops down from the sky, spooking your horse and startling you out of your thoughts. You reach for the crossbow you keep under your seat, but you’re too slow, and before you know it, you’re in the dragon’s claw, and it’s flying away.

You’re going to die.

A dragon is going to eat you, and you’re going to die.

Your biggest regret at the moment is walking away from Talen-zei. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked out. Maybe he would have found someone better than you, or he would have been too busy to make time for you, but you would have had more than the few days you had with him. It would have been worth it. You’re saying your prayers and preparing yourself to meet your ancestors when the dragon touches down, and sets you gently on the ground between its foreclaws.

You close your eyes. You don’t want to see death coming.

“I apologize for scaring you,” a familiar voice says.

You gasp, and open your eyes, to find yourself looking up at Talen-zei. He’s smiling ruefully and walking toward you, looking a little worse for the wear since he last saw you.

“You… You kidnapped me again?!” You manage to gasp in outrage now that you’ve figured out that the Argonian is somehow in control of the dragon and you’re not about to die.

“So I did,” He says, his smile turning wicked.

“What about my horse and cart?!”

“Taken care of. I had associates on the ground prepared for the interception.” He steps into your space, looming over you. “I missed you. I know you think that you’re not important, but you are. You’re very important to me.”

His large, reptilian hand cups your cheek, and you have to fight the urge to lean into it. You so badly want to, but you’re angry at him. He let you go, and then he kidnapped you again, and he made you think you were going to die. Those reasons seem less important by the second as you notice the heat in his gaze, and the way he’s looking at you.

“I also apologize for taking so long to come find you, but I had responsibilities that needed rearranging,” He leans down, and speaks so he’s whispering in you ear, the spurs in his jaw just brushing your temple. “It takes time to properly court a mate, in my culture, and I needed to prepare for that.”

You shiver.

“What?”

“I want to make you mine,” He says, his voice low and rough, whispered just into your ear. “If you want that, too.”

Gods but you do. You want it bad. After weeks apart, and the hurt and anger, and everything else, you still want him. Your mouth has gone dry, and you swallow, loudly.

“I do.” You manage to say.

“Good.” Talen-zei claims your mouth once more, his tongue teasing the seam of your lips until you part them to give him entry. His tongue tangles with yours, drawing you into the kiss, teasing you with what might be until you’re panting and gripping onto him for strength.

You pull away from him.

“Take me home and make me yours,” you say to him.

“Gladly,” Talen-zei replies.

And he does.

**Author's Note:**

> Was written in response to a "Meet Ugly" prompt on Tumblr, and took on a life of its own. I write all this stuff for my aelia-likes-monsters.tumblr.com blog, which has stuff that doesn't even get posted here.


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